


if one heart can mend another

by Avalonmists



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Gen, POV Alternating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-13
Updated: 2015-09-07
Packaged: 2018-02-25 05:40:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2610506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Avalonmists/pseuds/Avalonmists
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emma goes to Regina after her magical burst. She catches Regina and Robin kissing. She leaves the vault and waits for Regina.<br/>Set during "The Snow Queen"</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And as always, thanks to the best beta in the world : [coltsandquills](http://archiveofourown.org/users/ColtsAndQuills/)

**i.**

She shouldn't be bothered by what she was seeing in the vault. He was her soul mate, after all. He was in love with her, and Regina loved him.

But she felt her stomach clenching at the sight. It was not only love she was witnessing in that kiss, but lust.

Her stomach clenched a little bit more.

She left before any of them _(Regina)_ saw her.

+

She was lying on the floor of her vault. Robin _(her soul mate)_ was sleeping, clinging to her like he would never let her go again.

She felt a wisp of air brush against her naked skin. She shivered. She tried to untangle herself from Robin and get some clothes on, but he held her even closer. She smiled softly, still intoxicated by the heat of the moment.

But this was a terrible mistake, she knew it.

+

He wouldn't let her go. He'd made his choice. He knew it wouldn't be easy. Regina _(his soul mate)_ welcomed him with passion, but he saw this little thing in her look, this tiny little hesitation, this little glimpse of guilt he knew would only grow bigger.

He would fight this. He would not let her escape.

He wanted this moment to never end. It felt good in her arms. It felt right.

**ii.**

Emma was waiting. Sitting on the floor by the side of the vault, her knees in her arms, she was waiting.

Waiting for _(Regina)_ to be alone.

Waiting for the rejection in Mary Margaret's eyes to be eradicated from her memories.

Waiting for things to be normal again.

Waiting for everything to stop.

+

Robin had finally left. More precisely, she had made him leave. They couldn't spend the rest of their lives in this vault, as he had suggested earlier.

She readjusted her dress and gave a look at Henry's book. This story was not in it. She would be the one writing her own happy ending. Could it be with Robin _(her soul mate)?_

She already had the answer, though, and it was not a happy ending.

She left the vault as determined as before. She was closing the door when she heard a small voice, the smallest she had ever heard from its owner.

“Regina?”

+

They would find a way to save Marian. Regina _(his soul mate)_ would find a way. He knew he had made the right choice. He will forever love Marian, be grateful for the man she made of him, and he won't let her down after she wakes up from the icy curse. Because she would wake up, and she would understand. She was a good woman.

He gave a last look at the vault. The woman inside was worth all the upheavals.

 

**iii.**

Regina was the only one who could understand her. She was a monster too. That’s what she would always be in the eyes of everybody, and Emma knew it was wrong. Emma knew Regina was not a monster. Not because of her magic, not because of anything. She was just _(Regina)_.

And she just fucked Robin in her vault; Emma could tell by the way he looked when he left a few minutes earlier. She could tell by the way Regina looked when Emma called her just now. When she turned around, she could see how smitten she still was, but what she also saw in that same instant was how broken a woman she was.

Regina was the only one who could understand her, but Emma was also the only one who could understand Regina.

“Regina, I need you.”

+

She never seemed so helpless, so weak. Regina had hated a lot of things about the blonde when she first laid eyes on her, but not her combative spirit. She had always challenged her; not only did she lift the curse, but she brought her back to life. It had been scary at first, but she knew now she wouldn’t go back to the cursed city that was Storybrooke before _(Emma)_ arrived.

She forgot about Robin the moment she saw the blonde curled up at the side of the vault, a lost Saviour.

She felt unstable magic, and she could read the flow of emotions covering Emma’s face. She understood in an instant what had happened.

“Did Henry see?” was her first question, because she knew Emma would have asked the same thing.

+

He was back in the forest, in the company of his Merry Men. All they would talk about was Marian. She had been their companion for a long time. She was loved by his men. She was a very lovable woman, and she was _(his wife)_.

He was a man of honour. Marian taught him to live by a code. But he also was a man in love with a stunning woman _(his soul mate)_.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) ~~I haven't seen last night double episode~~  
>  2) ~~This chapter has not been beta'd yet, English is not my first language, please bear with me :)~~  
>  And as always, thanks to the best beta in the world : [coltsandquills](http://archiveofourown.org/users/ColtsAndQuills/)

**i.**

« Henry was there but I didn’t… he didn’t get hurt. »

And she would not hurt him. Ever. Not with her magic. Not with anything.

She couldn’t get off the floor. She couldn’t look at Regina in the eyes. She felt the air move and _(Regina)_ was suddenly kneeling beside her, not caring if she would ruin her stockings or her dress.

She still smelled of him and, for a second, it made Emma angry, it made her want to break things, like blowing away a wall. And this time she might even like it.

Something was wrong with her. It was like the look Mary Margaret gave her, a look that went straight to her heart and shattered it into pieces .

She knew Mary Margaret loved her, she knew her parents loved her, but they had the baby now. And she had uncontrollable magic.

« But I hurt David. »

Regina took Emma’s hands in hers and she was warm despite the cold falling on the cemetary.

Emma remembered what – who – had warmed Regina earlier and took her hands away.

« Mary Margaret looked at me differently. I saw fear and… and disappointment. »

She felt her heart swell as if it was going to burst out of her chest.

+

« Emma, you did nothing wrong. »

She didn’t try to take _(Emma)_ ’s hands in hers again after the blonde brusquely took them away from her gentle hold.

The green eyes were dark and Regina could read easily the storm of this tormented look. She saw a glimpse of anger, too, though she wasn't sure against whom it was directed.

« Mary Margaret loves you fiercely and what you saw was fear, yes, but fear for you. She saw what magic did to me, and she certainly doesn’t want that for you. »

 _« Neither do I »_ , but she didn't voice her thoughts. She would not let Emma take the same path than her with magic. She was no Rumplestilstkin; she didn't need her own monster to reach some sick, personnal goals.

She had to find a way to cure Marian. Even though they started to talk about it, she knew the guilt weighed heavily on Emma. Regina had been working on it for days now, and she still hadn't find anything.

She had to find something - a spell, a magical object, anything ! She had to do it for Emma, because she was pretty sure her malfunctionning magic had some roots in her guilt, and also for Robin and her. What happened earlier in her vault with Robin couldn't be repeated. She hadn't changed her mind , he had to go back to his wife.

Even if it wasn't what he wanted.

+

He was staring at the fire. His Merry Men left him alone after dinner. The conversations about Marian started like happy memories, but when they got to her miraculous return in Storybrooke, the atmosphere grew heavier and Robin started snapping at them.

Marian was _(his wife)_ , his brave and beautiful wife, mother of his sweet little Roland. And she was about to die. Again. Except this time he could do something about it.

He took the heart of his wife in his hands, this heart Regina handed him. How ironic. It was her own heart she handed him not so long ago, to have it protected.

He failed her when Zelena came, like he was failing Marian right now. 

_« Fall back in love with your wife ! »_ Regina's words haunted him. How could he fall back in love with Marian after what happened in the vault ? 

**ii.**

« What if I hurt Henry ! The Snow Queen – »

« Knows nothing ! She has an agenda, and she wants you. That’s why you’re going to Sheriff-up and do what you do best. And I’ll help you. With your magic. »

Emma locked eyes with _(Regina)_.

« Are you going to help me like you help Marian, by screwing her husband ? »

She had spoken in a very low voice, calm, impassive. She really wanted to break things. Starting a fight with Regina would do it.

Using Marian was a very low blow but Mary Margaret had snapped at her and for a second there had been no love in her eyes and the Snow Queen had messed with her head and she had wound up blowing up a wall.

Coming here was a mistake. She stood up and started to leave, but Regina held her by the arm. Emma closed her eyes, took a deep breath and when she opened them again, she looked straight at Regina.

« Regina, I... am sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I know who Robin is to you and I... I fucked it up. »

The pain caught her by surprise. Regina was stronger than she looked. She held her hand to her cheek. It was prickling, and probably red, by the heat of it. 

+

Regina was panting with fury. She didn't think further and before she even realised what she was doing, she had slapped the arrogant blonde.

If not for the safety of her son, she would leave _(Emma)_ here, and she could ask Gold for help for all she cared !

But Henry would always be her priority, and his other mother's uncontrollable magic was a danger she would not let him face. 

« Who I am « screwing » is not of your business, Miss Swan. You've already done enough concerning my relationship with Robin. I suggest you keep your opinion for yourself.  »

Emma still had her hand on her cheek, looking a bit shocked. Regina knew Emma was really sorry. She moved closer to her and readjust a lock of blonde hair on her way. She gently took Emma's hand away and let her magic soothe the heat of her slap.

Next thing she remembered was Emma's lips crashing on hers.

+

He had to talk to _(Regina)_. He couldn't sleep, and he couldn't think of anything else than Regina's lips, Regina's curves, Regina's hands on him.

He gently put down Marian's heart back in its box. He knew he wouldn't be able to fall back in love with her. He had to tell Regina the two of them together was not a question of choice or the wrong or right thing to do. It was fate, and he was already too much in love with her to think straight.

He went back to the vault, he didn't know if she would still be there but she was so eager to find a cure for Marian he was sure she wouldn't have left yet.

A brown leather jacket on the floor at the entrance of the vault ; black pumps in the stairwell.

Was Regina in any kind of danger ? He went further into the vault but stopped at the sounds. She was not in danger, the Saviour was here.

He left the vault running, tumbling on the pieces of clothing, pathetic reminders of the betrayal.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is an update : unbelievable !
> 
> And as always, thanks to the best beta in the world : [coltsandquills](http://archiveofourown.org/users/ColtsAndQuills/)

**i.**

Several days had passed and they never talked about what happened in the vault.

There was nothing to talk about.  
There was too much to talk about.

Regina was now giving her magic lessons. Emma was overwhelmed by her magic. She was angry, and only _(Regina)_ could do something about it.

Emma craved for more than magic lessons though, and she hated herself for that. 

They may not talk about it, but she couldn't forget what happened in the vault.

+

They never talked about what happened in the vault and they would never talk about it.

But she couldn't avoid _(Emma_ ) and, weirdly, she didn't want to. Helping the distressed woman was a priority to her. Robin _(her soulmate)_ was the one she was avoiding.

She didn't want to be left alone with him, and seeing him beside Marian was all she could bear. It was a necessity. For the woman lying there, not for him.

Freeing her from her icy cage wouldn't solve the problem, but at least Marian would have a voice to speak for herself and could get Robin back to her.

+

He never talked about what happened in the vault.

Regina was slipping away. He could sense it. He was seeing it happen just in front of him.

It was never just the two of them any more. It had come to the point that Marian felt less cold than Regina.

He was losing her.

Somewhere deep inside, a very dark, very secret part of him wished Marian would never wake up so that he could win Regina _(his soulmate)_ back. But he tried to shut this little pernicious voice down, because wishing this was not honourable.

Regina would find a way to free Marian from this terrible spell, and the three of them would sort out the situation. For him, the decision was clear, even despite what happened in the vault.

 

**ii.**

The Dairy Queen was someone from her past - Ingrid was her name. 

Another one who let her down and manipulated her. She stole her memories!

When was her life really her own? When did people want to be with her because of herself, and not because they could use her?

There was one person, though _(Regina)_

+

"Emma?" She spoke softly. The lesson of the day had been difficult. And why wouldn't it be? Once again Emma discovered someone messed with her life.

The blonde looked at her intensely but didn't say a word. Magic was emanating from her, but she controlled it. Regina was proud of her student _(Emma)_

"Let's call it a day."

Regina would give Emma all the tools she needed for her to get her life together.

+

Something had changed. Regina wouldn’t talk to him and now it appeared that the ice witch was someone from the Sheriff’s past. Someone who hurt her.

Regina was distant since the vault, but now that their enemy was linked to Emma, it was worse. They would spend a lot of time together for magic lessons.

He didn’t say anything. He knew the Sheriff needed to control her magic. He knew Regina _(his soulmate)_ was the only one able to help her.

Each time he tried to reach out, Regina would only talk about Marian and how she would find a way to free her.

**iii.**

Emma had seen how Regina acted out with Robin. The Dairy Queen was defeated - she wouldn't call her by her name - but Marian was still under her spell.

Regina worked day and night to find a cure, but this was a magic far beyond her knowledge or even Gold's. There had to be a solution!

She couldn't stand seeing _(Regina)_ so hurt.

True Love's kiss didn't work, and Emma had seen Regina breaking down. Of course True Love's kiss wouldn't work. It would have been too easy a solution. Regina had to suffer, because suffering was what Regina's life had been all along. Emma knew it now.

+

Regina was furious. Ingrid was defeated, so why Marian was still prisoner of her ice cage? She felt helpless. Useless, even. Nothing worked, Gold knew nothing more and True Love's kiss didn't work.

Because Robin was in love with someone else. Despite what she told him, despite how she treated him, despite everything.

Oh sure, he was _(her soulmate)_. But that was not enough, because he couldn't be her happy ending.

She's been deprived of a happy ending for so long, that she easily resigns herself to it now.

+

This whole situation was a mess. This Ingrid was defeated, but his Marian was still under her spell! Yes, she was still his Marian, he realised. But True Love's kiss didn’t work; he knew it too well.

And Regina _(his soulmate)_ seemed to blame him for it. But he couldn’t help his feelings! He didn’t want to think about what would happen after Marian woke up, because it was exactly the reason why Regina was distant with him (the vault after his departure never existed or he would break something.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is one (very short) chapter and an epilogue to this story. Soon to be posted :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is really really short, I know. Sorry ? ;)
> 
> And as always, thanks to the best beta in the world : [coltsandquills](http://archiveofourown.org/users/ColtsAndQuills/)

She opened her eyes. Her body ached and she was cold.

She blinked a few times, readjusting her eyes to the soft light of the day's end, peering through the windows.

"Robin?"

***  
Emma was holding Regina's hand, panting. They did it. Regina did it! All it took was having Robin put back Marian's heart while Regina and her combined their magic to overpower the spell.

Regina looked at Emma, puzzled. She couldn't explain how they did it, but it worked. Regina tried to shush the little voice in the back of her head: _"Love is the most powerful magic of all."_ Robin's love for Marian made it work, what else?

Robin still had his hand on Marian's chest. Her heart was beating, her body getting warmer. She was back. He looked at Regina. She was still holding hands with Emma, and he could see relief in her eyes. He knew then that his battle was lost. Even if she maybe didn't know it yet.

***  
Marian was smiling. Robin was by her side, and the Evil Queen saved her. She had a lot to learn from this world.


	5. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And as always, thanks to the best beta in the world : [coltsandquills](http://archiveofourown.org/users/ColtsAndQuills/)

Her hair was a mess. Her body was sore. And she wanted more.

She let the heat of magic grow and channeled it to the the tips of her fingers. It felt good, the magic spreading in her veins, but it was nothing compared to her being able to control it. All this power, obeying only her.

She softly ran her fingers along the sleeping figure lying beside her. Her light trail left goosebumps on the soft skin of its owner.

 _(Emma)_ smiled, hopeful.

+

She was not sleeping anymore.

She didn't say a word and just relished in the sensation of the cold fingers on her bare skin.

This was a mistake, too, but one she chose to make. Without feeling obliged, fated, or in love?

 _(Regina)_ smiled, sadly.

+

He had fought. But it was a battle lost from the beginning; he just didn't want to admit it.)

He was a man of honour - he just forgot she was living by even a higher code than his. She was a queen, after all.

He didn't fall in love again with his wife. But somehow, what he felt and would forever feel for her was enough to melt the ice once the right spell was done. That’s what he wanted to believe, anyway.

Regina saved Marian. As she promised. And his wife of a long time ago was now lying in his arms.

 _(Robin)_ smiled, tears in his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this story is finally over. Thank you for following it, thank you for your patience :) I hope you liked it :)


End file.
